As I was mulling over what this week’s theme should be, it occurred to me that I haven’t posted any meat-centric recipe exchanges yet. How silly of me. Let’s correct that now with some carnivorous concoctions. Jump in and give us your best Pork recipes! And by that, I don’t mean give us a normal recipe that you threw some bacon into.

Tell us about your pork tenderloins, your pork shoulders, your pork chops, and your pork butts. Let us know your best pulled pork recipes, or how you make your pork tenderloin. As a Midwesterner, I’d be remiss if I also didn’t ask for any great BBQ pork recipes.

As always, when posting your recipe, please clearly delineate the ingredient list, the directions, and any other helpful notes you might have. I’ll kick it off with a couple of porcine favorites of my own.

Slow-Cooked Pork Roast

Ingredients

• 1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• At least 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Directions

1) Spray slow cooker with cooking spray, and put in the pork roast.

2) In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil, and salt. Pour over the pork.

3) Cover the pork, and cook for 6-7 hours, or until a meat thermometer reads 160° F.

4) Remove meat to a serving platter and keep warm. Skim the fat from the cooking juices, and transfer the juices to a small saucepan.

5) Bring liquid to a boil. Combine the cold water and cornstarch until smooth, then gradually stir into the saucepan.

6) Bring to a boil, and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened.

7) Slice the roast and serve with the thickened sauce/gravy.

Notes

-It’s likely the top of the roast won’t be submerged in the liquids in the slow cooker. It’s helpful to flip the meat top-to-bottom halfway through the cooking time.
-Is it possible to overdo the garlic? I’ve never found an upper limit, so throw in as much as you like.

BBQ Pulled Pork with Cornbread Topping

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 onion, halved and thinly-sliced
• 1/3 cup creamed corn
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 box (8.5 oz) Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 2 scallions, chopped

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 300° F.

2) In a large, heavy, ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, whisk the barbecue sauce, chicken stock, and chili powder together. Add the pork and onion, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and roast until the pork is tender, about 1 hour, 45 minutes.

3) Remove the pot from the oven and increase the temperature to 400° F. Using 2 forks, shred the pork in the pot.

4) In a mixing bowl, stir together the creamed corn, egg, and sour cream, then gently fold in the muffin mix and scallions. Spoon the batter to cover the pulled pork. Bake, uncovered, until cornbread is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.